


Dive Bar

by The_Magic_Lava_Lamp



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-14 22:18:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16049699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Magic_Lava_Lamp/pseuds/The_Magic_Lava_Lamp
Summary: The summer of 1989 was something Bill had not thought about in years. The people. The places. The Loser’s. But when he runs into an old friend at the bar, it’s like he’s there all over again.





	Dive Bar

Bill Denbrough had been many things when he was the bright age of ten. A friend, a brother, a son but it seemed by the time of his most recent age of twenty-nine, he was none of those things anymore. The worst part of it was that he could barely remember the time when he was those things but his stomach still ached with guilt and had him waking up in a heated sweat at least once a month. He was driving himself crazy and had been attempting to fix it, but sometimes he entertained the thought of just allowing himself to sink. Because was it really worth the effort if he had no one else? 

He swiped his hand over his 5 o'clock shadow, feeling the stubble that he’d just been neglecting for the past few days. He thought about the deserted baby blue razor that was resting on the pure white porcelain counter in his hotel room. He made a note to himself to pick the damn thing up when he got back and get the peppering of hair off his face. He dragged his feet into a kind looking dive bar for a hardy dose of alcohol related amnesia. If he was honest, he was looking forward to it all day. 

The place was crowded with the kind of people Bill assumed were regulars. He felt out of place from the minute he stepped inside. He strolled over to the bar and took the stool next to an old man who’s clothes shadowed his former young self. He was nursing his drink, swirling it and taking few sips as if wanting to make it last. Bill wanted to stare curiously but he held the urge back. The cheap light bulbs that were screwed into cones of emerald green, heated the back of his neck and he took off his jacket. Settling himself in. 

Bill was not an impatient person so he took the time in which he waited to drag his eyes over every inch of the cozy bar. He was narrowing his eyes to focus on an old black and white photo when somebody tapped on the bar. He whipped his head around and saw the face of a man, leaning down only slightly. His hair was a curled pitch black. 

“Something I can get you?” He asked, a smile spreading easily over his face. Bill felt a flicker of recognition that was gone in a flash. 

“An Old Fashioned?” Bill decided before he could really think about it. The man nodded and went to work. Bill watched him, trying to figure out why he was so interesting. 

“Y’know my dad used to drink this.” The man said in passing as he slid the drink over and leaned on the bar in front of him once again. Bill hummed and took a sip. 

“I’m more of a colorful drinker myself.” He chuckled, and God that laugh was something, Bill swore on it. The man sipped at some nauseated pink drink. “But you seem like the boring type.” 

“Beep Beep.” Bill rolled his eyes but froze completely. ‘Where the fuck did that come from?’. It seemed whatever it was that he said, cause the man to freeze too. He didn’t look fearful, as Bill must’ve but rather interested. He was tapping his fingertips in a pattern over his chin with a crooked smile. 

“Does that mean something to you?” Bill asked, knowing it must have meant something to him or else he wouldn’t have let it slip. 

“I would say so, sir.” He responded with a spot on British accent. “Takes me right back-”

“To when?” Bill interrupted as he was starting to retrace his whole life to place this guy. 

“Well, I don’t know but it does.” He shrugged with amusement. 

It was his attitude that helped Bill start to connect the dots…to a kid he swore he didn’t remember until this very moment. ‘But it couldn’t be. all his voices sounded the same-’ “Richie Tozier?”

“The one and only.” He smirked but quickly stopped to look Bill over. “Well, by golly! You must be…Bill Denbrough?” He snapped his fingers in Bills face. Bill chuckled and slapped his hand down. 

“How did you know?” 

“Came to me in the moment.” Richie shrugged and Bill felt a tug in his chest. “God, How are you?” 

Bill could have lied but his mind flashed, ‘C’mon this is Richie. Don’t lie to him’ and though he was only barely recalling him, he agreed. “Can’t say too well, Rich. You?” 

Richie looked around the bar and shrugged, throwing a towel over his shoulder. “Ah, you know me Big Bill. I make every place better just by being there.” He chuckled again. Bill couldn’t help but laugh with him, their laughter mixing was so familiar it hurt. 

He took out a lighter and waved it at Bill who nodded though he hadn’t smoked in ages. He took an offered smoke and Richie lit it for him, the red reflected warmly in his eyes. He pulled back and let Bill have room to blow his smoke. 

Richie slid someone else their drink and seemed to make some sort of joke, waving his hands about and laughing like it was hysterical. Though he slid right back over to Bill and the smile just ran away from his face. 

“You know, I think this is killing me, Bill.” Richie laughed but it wasn’t funny. Bill frowned. 

“What are you saying Rich?” 

“I’m sure that I could be making it big, knocking em’ dead y’know? You remember how my voices used to sound, right?” Richie asked and he nodded even though he didn’t really need an answer. “Trust me, they’ve improved…but I just can’t get out of this fucking place.” He shook his head and bit into his lip. 

Bill’s heart plummeted. Richie was a people person as long as he’d known him, of course he’d get attached to some ol’ dive bar like it meant the world to him. “You spoken for, Bill?” Richie spoke again before Bill could say something. 

He smiled, shaking his head. “No, not yet…you?” He returned the question. Richie shook his head just the same. Bill felt a little surprised, like he expected him to say he was. And Bill wasn’t sure why. He could’ve sworn Richie had something special going on the last he’d seen him…

“I thought…well I’m not sure what I thought actually.” Bill chuckled and Richie looked at him curiously. But Bill felt as if he was suddenly just attacked with memories. Of his six friends, he saw all of their faces for a quick second. He heard each of their laughter. And he saw the fiery red head, Bev…gripping onto Ben’s hand, He saw Mike riding no-hands on his bike proudly, he saw something he could only describe as beautiful, Stanley Uris laughing his ass off. And he saw the smile of his first best friend, Eddie..kasp-? Kaspbrak! 

“Do you remember Eddie?” Bill asked, excited. Richie pulled back for a second. He looked as if he was being hit with everything like a wall of water, Bill assumed he’d looked just the same not a moment ago. 

“Yeah, Yeah I remember him…” Richie was gripping onto what was only a ghost of a memory. “What happened-?” 

“I don’t know, I haven’t thought about him in ages.” Bill shrugged, wondering just why Richie looked so guilty. 

Richie twisted the towel on his shoulder as he was trying to focus on the faint echoes of someones giggling playing on sudden repeat in his head. ‘There’s so many things you should’ve told him…’ he said like a reminder to himself. “Shit, Eddie…he-We were something weren’t we?” 

Bill didn’t know the answer but he nodded anyway because it felt right. Suddenly Richie looked sick to his stomach. His eyes looked wildly back and forth, mouth a little agape. Bill looked back at the man playing piano in the corner of the place and felt a chill run up his spine like he should be remembering something traumatic but just couldn’t pick up on it. 

Richie took a long sip of his nausea in a cup and tried to focus. He remembered the way the small boy’s hand fit into his first. And then his laugh, his eyes and the way they’d roll whenever Richie opened his mouth, the way his nose scrunched up whenever he was disgusted and if Richie was correct, he did that a lot. He stood up straight, putting his hands on his hips. “How do you forget being in love like that?” He shook his head, mocking an amused smile this time. 

Bill couldn’t answer because he didn’t know. 

Richie laughed again and it would’ve haunted Bill if he could remember it after he left. “Maybe getting out of Derry isn’t all it cracked up to be?” 

“Don’t say that Rich, that place was awful and-”

“But it had you guys, and I remembered shit there.”

Bill got a chilling feeling in the pit of his stomach “Maybe it’s better off if we don’t remember whatever happened that summer-”

“I want to fucking know who Eddie is, but for some reason, when you walk out of that door, I know it’s all going to go away. I can barely remember it now. I haven’t thought about him in forever, but just now…when I remembered him, shit I felt something that made me feel worth it, Bill.” 

“It’s like I finally know what ‘Baby, I love Your Way’s about.” Richie added with a genuine laugh. Bill smiled and chuckled. 

“They all look at me like ‘God, what are you still doing here?’ “ Richie looked over his Saturday crowd with a fond look in his glossy eyes and started wiping down the counter. 

“You deserve better, Rich. You’re the funniest guy I know-”

“Yeah, until you walk out the door.” Richie added with a smug look and Bill had to laugh because it was true. He finished his Old Fashion and knew it was time to go. 

“Maybe I’ll see you again?” Bill asked, hoping for a ‘yes’. 

Richie smiled. “Yeah, I’d like to think so.” He shrugged again. Bill reached over and hugged him. Richie sniffled and Bill gripped harder, not wanting to let go. He treasured the faces of his friends once more. Strong Beverly, Genuine Ben, Proud Mike, Beautiful Stan, and Richie&Eddie’s blushing faces. 

They were right, When Bill walked out that night…everything faded again. It got even worse when Bill flew home. 

But it was after there little run in, that Richie got himself out of that bar, making sure it was in good hands and into the DJ scene with major success.


End file.
